As for the low-light photos the Sony HDR-CX700V comes loaded with a backside-illuminated sensor and a huge, 1/2.88 in CMOS sensor which places the circuitry on the back of the chip for preventing it from stopping the incoming light.

Now, what exactly does all this terminology means for the actual-world videographers? To find out that we started with the Canon VIXIA G10 we did some test on the camera in order to test its ability to find out its ability to handle limited or varying lights.

And we must tell you that among all the cameras that we tested for this rundown, the Sony HDR-CX700V came up with the least amount of noise during our candle test. The footage looked sharp and smooth, and remained just like that even when we played them back on the 46 in HDTV. Though, we were a tad upset about the darkness shown in all the photos.

The Sony HDR-CX700V performed exceedingly well for outdoors as well, but when we tested for dynamic range the camera was a tad behind the Canon Vixia G10. The overall footage shot from the camera showed a tad less details in areas having high contrast and simply was not match for the bright and warm color reproduction of Canon.

The camera did perform exceedingly well when we tested it in our night shooting tests. The 10x optical zoom of Sony HDR-CX700V had soft, filmic control, and the 5.1 channel surround mic performed exceedingly well and was immensely clear and life-like. The Wind Reduction feature of the camera was also superb and helped us immensely.

The Sony HDR-CX700V has a 3 in LCD touch panel, which here is ½ in smaller than the earlier model, and that’s what made us thing “Why would Sony do that?”, but we were happy to see the new capabilities such as the options for switching between 60p and a lot more cinematic looking 24p HD recording. We also appreciate the Cinema tone presets and manual control options for the camera for focus, exposure, iris, shutter speed and white balance.

Overall we would like to say that the Sony HDR-CX700V is a feature-rich HD camcorder with plethora of things to like, and few disappointments. At the same time, the generally sparkling image quality and abundance of options makes it one of the finest consumer cameras in the market. Find out more about the camera here.

Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 is pocket camcorder having eight gigabytes of storage space and the price of this gadget is $199.99. It is a good middle ground device, the video quality is good, they are easy to carry around and the price too is not really high. This category of camcorders is expanding constantly but Bloggie is unique amongst them due to the great video quality at different resolutions. It also has a photo shooter and a touch screen display. The options inside will certainly satisfy most of the users. I will recommend this gadget if you are looking for an inexpensive mini camcorder.

Perhaps, the only uncool thing about the Sony Bloggie Touch is its name; other than that, the device is slick looking. The gadget is 2.1 inches high, 4.3 inches wide and 0.6 inches deep. The body is thinner than Flip MinoHD (which costs $299) or Kodak Playtouch (which costs $229.95). The Sony product weighs 4.2 ounces which is on par with other pocket camcorders in the market. The manufacturer sent me an eight gigabyte version for review and there is another four gigabyte version in the market. The four and eight gigabyte versions can shoot one and two hours of 1080p 30 fps video respectively. If you opt for lower resolutions, the number will go up. The eight gigabytes version gave me four and half hours of 720p 30 fps video.

My Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 review model was black on all the sides. There are different color options like pink, blue, and silver. The chassis changes according to your color choice except for the silver cap which surrounds the lens. On the front side, the camcorder has Sony logo and close to that, there is the lens. There is nothing other than that and this gives a minimal look to the device. The shutter and power button are located on left side for capturing still photos and on the right, you will find a door which swings for showing miniHDMI port which lets your connect this Bloggie to a large HDTV.

On the bottom of Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20, there is tripod mount.

Kodak PlayTouch has a single Select/Record button on the back close to the three inch touch screen LCD. The display is bright enough and the manufacturer has put in LCD Glare Shield feature which sounds fancier than what it actually is. This feature will make the screen more visible in bright sunlight by changing from Normal picture to Black & White or high saturation. These settings don’t have any effect on the video but they can still help while shooting.

You will hold the Kodak PlayTouch vertically while shooting video and hence you won’t get the full three inch screen for shot framing. Instead, you will stuck using one section that is quite small at about two inches diagonal. This is not bad but I just feel that the real estate is wasted. Touch screen of the Kodak PlayTouch is responsive enough but it does take about one second for the interface to react when you change the settings.

Speaking of settings, there aren’t a lot on the this device which is normal for a minicamcorder. They are basically made for point and shoot. Along with Glare Shield thing you can choose from three brightness levels for the screen and there is also an auto option where the gadget automatically chooses the right one. You also get control over mic jack or mic, safe mode which prevents pictures and videos from editing, deleting, or sharing.  For sharing, you can select what e-mail addresses and social network will be shown when you press Share button in the Playback mode. For the video quality, there are four modes to choose from – WVGA, 720p at 30fps or 60fps, and 1080p at 30fps. For the pictures, you can shoot five megapixel photos.

Pocket video cameras like Kodak PlayTouch certainly cannot compete with full fledged HD camcorders and it won’t be fair to expect stellar video quality from the tiny devices. The videos still look pretty good.

Panasonic HDC-TM700K is based on Leica Dicomar lenses just like other HD camcorders from this manufacturer. They are known for their excellent shading and sharp images. The lens also suppresses distortion, flare and ghosting at edges of the images. I was impressed by the high resolution and contrast even in bright sunlight conditions. Panasonic HDC-TM700K is equipped with new F1.5-F2.8 lens along with 46mm filter diameter. Clear and bright images are created due to efficient light collection at high shutter speeds or in dim light conditions. Full-HD images look simply superb on this device.

Panasonic HDC-TM700K has 35mm wide angle lens which can fit more people into background as compared to a traditional 44.9mm lens. This will come in handy if you are taking a group photo in small room.

Panasonic HDC-TM700K has 12x optical zoom and the Intelligent zoom function can go as high as 18x. While using the Intelligent Zoom feature, the Intelligent Resolution Technology allows you to shoot content at high zoom rates and you can still preserve the sharpness of the images. You will get crisp picture quality without any blurry edges.

Panasonic HM-TA1 is a candybar minicamcorder which is meant to be held vertically. It is compact, lightweight and very attractive too. However, the design starts going downhill from here. There are three different color options and they body is quite glossy. It attracts a lot of fingerprints making the product look ugly. The glossy material also makes it difficult to hold the device. The memory card/battery compartment and power button are located on the right and your thumb can slide the compartment or hit the power button if the TA1 is held too firmly. The door feels flimsy and cheap.

Panasonic HM-TA has a door which conceals the sole AV output. This is composite only and there is no HDMI port or any option for component cable accessory. The lack of HDMI port means that you cannot connect this product to a large HDTV for viewing the recorded content. I have reviewed a few Panasonic HDTVs before and they come with SD Card slots. I tried playing video that way but didn’t have any luck. Panasonic TVs do not support MPEG-4 video playback through memory cards.

On the bottom, there is a slider which covers the built in USB connector. The connector pops from behind a small door on the left side. The manufacturer throws in a USB cable for reaching ports that are relatively difficult to access. Battery is charged through USB and takes about four hours to charge up fully. It is removable too. A full battery runs for about 80 minutes of recording so if you want to record for a longer time, I would recommend carrying more batteries in your backpack. But most of the people will be happy with the 80 minutes that they get here.

Panasonic HM-TA1 has attempted to simplify the controls here by assigning just one function to a button. The interface now becomes more user friendly but the control panel is a mess. Also, the buttons are made of slick plastic and are flush with the body so you will find it a bit difficult to press.

Beneath the screen, there are buttons for NightShot (infrared) and intelligent auto mode. There is also a direct-to-DVD and playback mode. The former can be used with Sony’s DVDirect dock or through the software when you connect it to a computer. You can control the GPS switch and you also get a manual power button along with automatic operation when the EVF is pulled or the LCD is opened.

Zoom switch of the Sony Handycam HDR-CX550V is located close the right ring finger. It pushes the tiny photo button to a corner and it is difficult to press due to the border line. The zoom feels nice to touch and maintaining a steady rate is really easy. The mode button, which toggles between the still photos and recording video is located on the left side of the EVF. It is a better place as compared to the predecessor, you will locate it easily while shooting with EVF.

When the menu option on the screen is hit, the first screen you get is the My Menu which is customizable and very straightforward and convenient to use. Pressing the Show Others key takes you to the endless and annoying scrolling menu. However, you at least get arrows for making the scrolling function unlike the Canon’s products.

Sony Handycam HDR-CX550V has support for geo tagging for both stills and videos. But remember that there is no standard way for using the video geotag information. All you get is Sony’s mediocre PMB application or you can use it just as a map index inside the camcorder. The manufacturer has licensed Navteq Class 4 map data for providing embedded maps inside the camcorder and also linking it to the GPS satellites. You don’t get the map data or geotagging for all the locations, so make sure you check before you travel. I liked the feature but it is quite limited. However, I was disappointed to see that there is no complete set of landmarks or street names. The video options get even more limited when the clips are downloaded to a computer.

I tried the Sony Handycam HDR-CX550V in Manhattan and getting a GPS lock was not easy; in fact it is almost impossible. I sat in the pedestrian mall outside the Flatiron building and got a satellite in ten minutes. Cities having a lot of high rise architecture won’t be a problem. Download the manual for the complete set of features.

The main advantages of a pocket HD camcorder are its compact design, low price and user friendly interface. Some of these camcorders do offer full HD resolution of 1,920×1,080 and there are the intimidating options of editing and playing too. But then these options make the mini camcorders less user friendly and the cost goes up too. Mini camcorders are made just to shoot the videos and nothing else. HD video is not just limited to high resolutions alone. You need a good lens for recording HD video (which small mini camcorders cannot house). These mini camcorders also face a stiff competition from digital cameras which give you an upload friendly resolution of 1,280×720 pixels. Apart from that digicams come with an added bonus – zoom lens.

I am writing about six good camcorders reviewed by me in the past.

• Flip SlideHD
  This device has a bigger screen it is the main highlight about the device. You can also share videos easily on the go. Other than that, I didn’t find anything spectacular about this device. The three inch screen gives you an experience similar to that of a mobile phone and the built in software too is really good. This camcorder is a bit hard to recommend at a high price of $256 to $280.

• Flip UltraHD
  This device is a bit ugly but I was impressed by the feature set that it has to offer for this price point. The video quality is the best amongst mini camcorders and this device is YouTube friendly too. Priced at $152 to $199, this device gives excellent value for money.

• Flip Video MinoHD (second generation)
  Another master piece from Flip, this gadget sports an improved design, more memory, and also comes along with an HDMI port. The MinoHD costs $178 – $229, the same as that of the first generation MinoHD and it is really good for the features that it has to offer.

• Kodak Playsport
  This is a rugged camcorder that can survive through occasional accidents. It is made for people who like to play rough. This device is water proof up to ten feet and there is also a bundled HDMI cord. The only disappointment here is the low battery life. Price of this minicamcorder is $129 – $169.

• Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera
  The feature set and video quality of this minicamcorder is better as compared to the Flip Video. This device can record videos at 1080p resolution and the image quality too is good for a device of this class. But I would have liked if the manufacturer would have bundled a memory card as well. You will have to buy it separately.

• Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 bundle
  Sony tried to cut in to minicamcorder market which was dominated by Flip products. The attempt was poor one; Bloggie MHS-PM5’s video quality is nowhere close to what the other mini camcorders have to offer. The software too is less user-friendly. Price is relatively low at $114.99 to $181.99 but I feel you are better off paying a bit more money and buying something else.

Thumbs Up:

Manual iris and shutter speed controls, size is comfortable, autofocus is smarter than average, lens focus is relatively close, battery life is good.

Thumbs Down:

Video looks a bit soft and cramped, the screen has a low.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Panasonic HDC-SD60K is a 1080i camcorder with 1500x digital zoom. It’s enclosure color is black, Optical Sensor Size is 1/4.1″, Optical Sensor Type is MOS, Min Illumination is 1 lux, Analog Video Format is NTSC, Digital Video Format is AVCHD, Image Stabilizer is Optical (POWER O.I.S.), Minimum Shutter Speed is 1/2 second, Maximum Shutter Speed is 1/8000 sec, Shooting Programs includes Beach, Snow, Sunset, Fireworks, Scenery, Low light, Night scene, Spotlight, Portrait mode, Sports mode, Night portrait.

White Balance options include Presets, Custom, Automatic. White Balance Presets options include Indoor, Sunlight, Cloudy, Outdoor. Exposure Modes are Manual, Automatic, Program. Camcorder Sensor Resolution is 3.32 megapixels, Camcorder Effective Video Resolution is 2.11 megapixels, Camcorder Effective Still Resolution is 2.32 megapixels, Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution is 5 megapixels.

Images are stored in JPEG format, Supported Flash Memory is SD Memory Card. The camcorder has Zoom lens – 3.02 mm – 75.5 mm – F/1.8-3.3, with Focal Length of 3.02 mm – 75.5 mm, Lens Aperture is F/1.8-3.3, Optical Zoom is 25 x, Minimum focal length is 3.02 mm, Maximum focal length is 75.5 mm, Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera is 35.7 – 893 mm.

Additional Features areDPOF support, Face detection, AF/AE tracking, Built-in speaker, Face Recognition, PictBridge support, Pre-Rec function, Built-in help guide, YouTube capture mode, Touch-screen control, USB 2.0 compatibility, Intelligent Scene Selector, Backlight compensation, Smile Detection Intelligent Contrast Control, technology , Automatic display brightness Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording, Intelligent Contrast Control, adjustment , Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording.

The camcorder has 2.7 inch TFT LCD. Microphone Features include Wind noise reduction and Zoom. Connectors are HDMI output, Composite audio/video, USB, Component video output. Supported OSes MS Windows Vista, MS Windows 7, Apple Mac OS X 10.5.8, MS Windows XP SP2 or later, Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x. Cables Included are USB cable and A/V cable. The device is powered by 1790 mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery. Panasonic gives a one year warranty for this product.

Razzle Dazzle:

Panasonic HDC-SD60K has a design which is comfortable to hold and feels well built too. If you have large hands and if you don’t like the standard tubular design, then you will like the hard disk jutting out of the body giving you a better grip over the device. There is no accessory shoe on any of these four camcorders. On the top, these devices have shutter button for taking photos and a zoom switch. This is a bit unusual for this price and this camcorder also has an LED light for shooting in dim light conditions. We liked it but it is very powerful so be careful not to shine it directly in to people’s eyes.

Inside Dope:

Panasonic has made four different models for the same product and this seems a bit too much. All four of these are entry level HD camcorders with the price range between $500 and $700. The HDC-SD60, TM60 and TM55 are based on the same internal hardware and they only differ by built in memory technology. TM55 has 8GB memory, TM60 has 16GB and SD60 doesn’t come with internal memory. The TM60 model is available only on best buy. The HS60 has the maximum storage space, it comes with 120 GB internal hard disk but the design has been changed a little inorder to incorporate the big hard disk. We got the SD60 model in our labs for testing and the manufacturer says that the quality is similar in all these four devices.

On the back of the Panasonic HDC-SD60K, there is a switch for selecting from playback, video and still modes. This is much better than using a touch screen. Next to this switch there is the power connector. On the LCD recess, there are plenty of connections and ports: SDXC card slot, USB, Mini-HDMI out, and proprietary video. Our only gripe is that these buttons could have been relocated to a different place. They are all inside the LCD which means you have to open the screen to access it. If this camcorder is attached to other devices then it will be quite inconvenient. There is also a button on the top of the camcorder for switching between the manual and intelligent auto mode.

In both these modes, you get the relevant options through flyout icon set. They give you iris controls and manual shutter speed which is quite similar to that see on the manufacturer’s high end models. The user interface is pretty much straightforward which is great for people who have never used a camcorder before. We also liked the iris controls.

The screen on the Panasonic HDC-SD60K is pretty much the same as seen on the company’s high end models. On the display bezel, there are buttons for video light, menu, zoom, record, and delete. We like these physical buttons as compared to those on the touch screen LCD because the touch screen buttons have some delay. The LCD is pretty good and it doesn’t get too washed out in bright sunlight. However, we thought that the buttons are a bit cramped.

The highlight of the Panasonic HDC-SD60K is face recognition, which is quite similar to that of the company’s still cameras. The camcorder can register up to 6 faces on its internal memory along with names, custom focus icon and priority (for exposure and AF). This is identified during recording and not playback.

The performance of the Panasonic HDC-SD60K is really good. We liked the zoom switch, it is easy to find while you are recording. The autofocus too is very good; it gives accurate results. There is also second option for image stabilization which is seen on a lot of camcorders in this price range. Here, it is called Power OIS for shooting while you walk. The Power and standard OIS is good but it is not exceptional. The effectiveness is the least when you stretch the optical zoom to 25x. The battery has plenty of juice but it is also bigger than what we usually see. It protrudes from the back of the device. The video quality of the Panasonic HDC-SD60K is pretty average for this price range. This device uses three small sensors which is also present on Panasonic’s step up siblings.

Nitty Gritty:

Panasonic HDC-SD60K has a good feature set and the performance too is good with good video quality. We would definately recommend this if you are looking for a camcorder

Thumbs Up:

Good feature set, well designed interface, 2 memory card slots

Thumbs Down:

Touch screen could have been better, low battery life, default mode for video recording is low quality, no support for SDXC cards, price is a bit high as compared to other camcorders.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Canon Vixia HF S20 is a 1080p camcorder with 200x digital zoom, it has total of 8.59 megapixels, optical sensor size is 1/2.6 inch, minimum illumination is 0.3 lux, analog video format is NTSC, Digital Video Format is AVCHD, Special Effects include Custom Effect, Vivid, Neutral, Skin Detail, Low Sharpening. Digital Scene Transition effects include Sepia fader, Wipe fader, Black and white fader, Minimum Shutter Speed is 1/2 second, maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 sec, Shooting Programs include Beach, Snow, Sunset, Low light, Fireworks, Spotlight, Sports mode, Night mode, Portrait mode. White Balance options include Presets, Automatic and Custom.

White Balance Presets include Shade, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten light , Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (daylight). Exposure Modes Program – Shutter-priority, Automatic, Aperture-priority. Exposure Metering options include Evaluative, Spot, Center-weighted. Images are stored in JPEG format, supported resolution is 1080p and 1080i. Resolution options for image storage are JPEG 3264 x 1840, JPEG 3264 x 2456, JPEG 1920 x 1440, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 1920 x 1080.

The camcorder has Zoom lens – 6.4 mm – 64 mm – F/1.8-3.0 with focal length of 6.4 mm – 64 mm and Lens Aperture of F/1.8-3.0, 10x optical zoom. Minimum focal length 6.4 mm, maximum focal length is 64 mm, Minimum Focus Range 0.4 inch. Additional features include Additional Features Direct print, Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording, 24p Cinema Mode, Face detection, Relay Recording, Contrast control, Built-in speaker, Histogram display, Brightness control, Sharpness control, PictBridge support, Video Snapshot mode, Saturation control, Accessories hot shoe, Touch-screen control, Progressive scanning, YouTube capture mode, Backlight compensation, USB 2.0 compatibility, Digital tele-converter, RGB primary color filter, HD-to-SD downconversion, Touch & Track technology, Display brightness control, Face-priority AF function, 5.1 channel surround sound ready, Scene Detection Technology, Takes photos while movie recording ,

Razzle Dazzle:

Canon Vixia HF S20 is heavier than other camcorders that we have previously tested but it still feels quite comfortable to hold in the hand. The device is compact and hence will easily fit in a jacket pocket. The rubber covering on the outside give you better grip on the camcorder.

Inside Dope:

Previously, I got Vixia HF S1x series in my labs but that was about an year ago and it didn’t have an electronic viewfinder. You cannot live without an EVF if you are a pro. Due to the Canon Vixia HF S20′s high resolution screen, the on screen buttons are really big and the interface is quite user friendly. You can view the screen well in direct sunlight too but you will have to find a sweeetspot because it is a bit reflective and shiny. Our only gripe with regards to the interface is the menu system which is a bit frustrating. Firstly, the scroll area is located on the inside edge so the screen is blocked by the hand when you scroll. Secondly, the screen supports multitouch gestures and hence it is difficult to move an entry at a time. While testing, I frequently scrolled pass the feature that I wanted to select and there were lots of wrong entries selected. I am sure you will get on with it fine after some acclimation but I still recommend you to try it before purchasing the Canon Vixia HF S20.

The electronic viewfinder or the EVF has a low resolution but still it is better than having nothing. Both the HF S200 and HF S20 offer this. The location of the diopter makes it a bit annoying to use, you will have to strain your eyes and you need to keep a good control over your fingers too.

Canon Vixia HF S20′s zoom is pretty nice and it helped me keep a steady rate of zoom. There were a few bouts of frustrations when the autofocus was wrong about the subject but once the subject got locked, the camcorder performed well. One reason behind this is the fast AF but accuracy is the trade off for zippy speeds.

Canon Vixia HF S20′s default video quality is one step above the lowest version – the 7 mbps mode of 1,440×1,080 pixels. You might start shooting out of the box, then look at the quality and say that it is poor. You will have to tweak up the settings up before you start shooting. We don’t know why the manufacturer did this; they could have put something like the second best mode of 17 mbps full HD mode. The best quality is 24 Mbps.

The manufacturer says the sensor in the Canon Vixia HF S20 is tweaked for improving the performance in low light conditions and the processor too is enhanced so that the purples and blues are better rendered. We tested this in our labs and the video of sky indeed looked better. Video quality is quite good in decent light conditions. I will say it is sharper than what you have in the competition but the difference is not drastic. The camcorder did struggle while reproducing the deep pinks and reds but overall, the color quality was quite pleasing. In conditions of low light, the exposure gets brighter and the colors too look saturated as compared to Sony but there is a bit of noise in the video. However, as compared to last year’s models, the quality is definitely improved. Audio quality is excellent too.

I took some photos from the Canon Vixia HF S20 and found that they look processed. However, they are still better than interpolated stills from low resolution sensors of Panasonic and Sony. I would recommend you to click in the photos mode only because in the video mode, the stills look noisy.

I would recommend the Canon Vixia HF S20 for both professionals or video enthusiasts. The latter might not need a few manual controls like Zebra stripe level choices, shutter speeds below 1/15 second and hence they might say that the price is too high. There is another model in this series, the HF S200 and I would recommend that to you, if you don’t need EVF.

Nitty Gritty:

This is a really good camcorder, the price is higher as compared to other such devices but it also makes up for the big price tag with good feature set.

Thumbs Up:

Easy to use interface, compact design, big 120 GB hard drive, 60x zoom lens.

Thumbs Down:

Videos look a bit soft and noisy, subjects have noticeable fringing, only EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) doesn’t have jacks for headphone or microphone.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 has a 2000x digital zoom with Optical Sensor Size of 1/8″, 3 lux minimum illumination, videos are stored in MPEG-2 format, the camcorder has electronic image stabilizer, minimum shutter speed is 1/30 second, maximum shutter speed is 1/500 second. Shooting program options include Twilight portrait, Snow, Twilight mode, Beach, Portrait mode, Candle, Landscape, Sunset, Firworks and Sunrise. The effective still resolution is 0.34 megapixels, images are stored in JPEG format.

The camcorder has 120 GB internal hard drive and image resolution is  640 x 480 pixels for JPEG. The camcorder has zoom lens of 1.8 mm – 108 mm – F/1.8-6.0  with 1.8 mm – 108 mm focal length, lens aperture is F/1.8-6.0, and 60x optical zoom. Minimum focal length is 1.8 mm, maximum focal length is 108 mm. Additional features include PictBridge support, Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording, USB 2.0 compatibility, Touch-screen control, Backlight compensation. The screen is 2.7 inches big and connectors for the device include S-Video output, Composite audio/video output and USB. Expansion slots include SD memory card and Memory Stick PRO Duo. Included cables are USB and A/V cord. The device is powered by li-ion rechargeable battery. The camcorder comes with one year warranty.

Razzle Dazzle:

SR68 is available in color options of blue, red and silver. But the Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is available only in silver color. The controls are pretty much typical of a standard camcorder. On the device’s back, you have stop/start button and on the top there is a zoom rocker in front of the shutter release. The gadget looks just like a can of soda. The handstrap is a bit low but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. This is because the hard disks are now light and small so these camcorders don’t have the typical bump. On the left of the hard disk, there is a tiny door which hides the power jack. You can charge the battery within the camcorder itself.

Inside Dope:

This is an entry level camcorder and records video in a built in hard drive. The highlights of this device is the small size, big storage capacity and also the megazoom lens. All this seems really tempting at a price of $400. The interface is also user friendly in spite of the menu system which seems endless. You won’t find much shooting options in here but this is not unexpected in a basic camcorder like this. Another typical features of such camcorders is the mediocre photo quality. This will be apparent if you are watching the videos on a large HDTV.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is recommend if you are not too concerned about the video quality and just want to shoot no matter what. The camcorder has a megazoom lens and yet fits easily in the pocket of your coat. This video recorder has 120 GB of storage space and if you don’t need this big space, then check out the SR88 which has the same features but comes with an 80 GB hard drive.

The battery of the Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 protrudes from the back and above it, there is a button toggle between the modes of video and stills. There is a SDHC/SD and Memory Stick Pro Duo card slot on the bottom of the gadget. Below the lens there is a small door which hides the proprietary AV output and you get a composite cable and also an S-Video cord. On the slider’s right, you the lens cover which covers the lens and it is awkward to use once the device is strapped to your hand.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 has a touch screen and it is better than what we have seen in other camcorders in this price range. The screen’s left, you have virtual buttons which control the zoom lens and stopping and starting the recordings. This is useful if you are shooting through tripod. We don’t like touch based menu systems much because the buttons are very tiny but if you don’t make a lot of changes, you will be fine. On the bright side, the screen is responsive but the list seems to be never ending since everything is put up in a single line. You also get a user configurable menu screen which houses six items that you access frequently.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 has a megazoom lens and if you are buying this camcorder for that reason, be wary of the fact that it is not easy to shoot one handedly. You are better off with a tripod or some other stable support. The camcorder doesn’t have optical image stabilization, just electronic image stabilization but still it is better than having nothing at all. However, videos will shake a lot when you zoom out to the fullest.

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 is basic camcorder made just for shooting and so there aren’t a lot of options put in. When we tested it, most of the times, we set the Auto for focus, white balance and scene selection. The results were satisfactory considering this is a basic camcorder. There are some options for scene and same holds true for white balance as well. You can control the exposure and focus through the touch screen.

Performance of the Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 too is good for this class of camcorder. You have the option to switch on the device instantly, all you have to do is open the LCD. This is seen in a lot of camcorders but still it is nice to have it here. Quality of the videos was a bit soft, and things got a bit sharper in the Tele Macro mode. Clips also had a some noise and also digital artifacts. You will have to scale down to YouTube sizes for a better video.

Nitty Gritty:

Sony Handycam DCR-SR88 has a big hard drive and comes with an easy to use interface but the video quality is mediocre. We will recommend you to spend a bit more and go for HD camcorder instead.